Snow plow



Jan. 30, 1940- o. H. BoRGEsoN SNOW PLOW Filed Feb. l5, 1939 PatentedyJan. 30, 1940 PATENT OFFICE y, SNOW PLOW y Olaf H. Borgeson, Wellesley Hills, Mass.

Application February 15, 1939, Serial No. 256,434

6 Claims.

f This invention relates to snow plows and more particularly to a novel folding snow plow which in open position can be conveniently attached to and driven by an automobile and which, when not in use, can be foldedv to relatively small capacity for its convenient transportation and storage. My novel snow plow is more particularly adapted for private use on small estates and the like where the roads and paths to be cleaned are not of suflicientextent to warrant the eX- xpenditure necessary for a powerl driven plow but which are tooextensive to be `shoveled manually. My improved plow is of simple construction employing two pivotally connected mold boards and suitable bracing means therefor all arranged andcornbined to permit quick and easy opening and closing'of the plow to operative position and/or closed and folded position Wherein it can be stored conveniently or easily transgravity on the ground and serves its function by being pushed forwardly through the snow by the vehicle, it being clear that all automobiles have such bumpers which are constructed to take a considerable thrust load. Further fean tures of the inventionfresidein constructing the plow, or portions thereof, of sheet steel and so rounding the bottom edges of the mold boards and so shaping the nose ends of the boards that the apparatus will plow its way through the snow 1 and over the ground lsurface without disturbing or injuring grass, gravel, or other material lat such surface.

Theseand other features of the invention will y bev best understood. and appreciated from the f following description of a preferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes of illustration andl shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved snow plow in operative position and attached tov the forward end of an automobile, Fig. 2 is a rearview of the plow in open position, f

Flg. 3 is a plan view of the plow in closed or folded position,

Fig. 4 is a rear perspective view ofv the `plow in collapsed position,

Fig. 5 is a sectional view throughv a mold` board on line 5 5 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view' showing the nose of the' plow, and Fig. Z is a fragmentary front view thereof.l

Referring more particularly to the drawing.

by reference characters,'I0 indicates two mold boards pivoted together at their .forward ends for opening and closing movement on an axis I2 extending upwardly and slightly pitched rear,- wardly vof the plow. This axis is located rearwardly of but `adjacent to the edges I4 at the forward en-ds of the boards and these edges are of such angular relation as to cooperate toprovide a closed ll-point for the plow when the boards are in the openy position shown in Figs. l and 2. This pivotal connection can be conveniently made by using the hinge joint shown in Fig. 8 ,wherein the hinge `plates I5 are'attached to the edges I4 in a position leaving the hinge pintle I2 rearwardly of such` edges. f

The mold boards are adapted to be held in the open position by suitable bracing means between and attached to the boards at I6 adjacent to their rear ends and including connections permitting the boards to be moved about the pivot axis I2'tosaid open and closed positions illustrated in the drawing. This bracing means,

as illustrated in the drawing, comprises two` braces or'brace elements I 8 havingtheir innery ends pivotally connected together at 2U and havin'g 'their outerends pivoted to the boards at I6. The hinges illustrated serve conveniently to providek these connections and it will be noted that the hinges are so arranged as to permit the braces to fold'rearwardly from the position of Fig; l to the position of Fig. 3, and shoulders 22 are provided for limiting forward movement of the braces substantially to the position shown in Fig. l in which position the mold boards are spread to their maximuml open relation. v

vThe rearward pitch given to the nose of the plow aids the Iplow to ease through drifts or hard snow and lremain beneath the snow, whereas a plow with a vertical nose would ydirectly abut thesnow and tendyto lifty up and ride thereover. The rearward pitch given to the front pivot l2 also serves `thevuseful function of causing the pivot joints to bind into tight relation when the plow is opened from its collapsed position, it being apparent that this action is due to the fact thatthe pivot I2 is out of parallel with the vertical .pivots at I6 and 20. The plow is so conf to such bumpers.

' ing the fplow. tofanfautomobilef which is-to serve as the-.pushing power.; Since all automobiles are provided with bumpers, I preferably employ attaching arms on the plow arranged and con-l structed with jaws for convenient attachment trated in the drawing compriseaaplate. 2d bolted to a brace I8 and having pivotally connected" thereto at 25 a link 26 to the-freeend-zofwhichr4 is pivoted at 21 a jaw 28. The jaw isadapted..

to engage over the bumper and be secured theretoby-asetscrew; 3D; f

The mold boards I0 are preferaby.constructedy ot'fslieet steel Sand the braces `ILrnay be likewise constructed or may..` be.; made, of wood or any suitable material. As illustrated, each mold board comprises a sheet of steel having the edges thereof," as. at 32;v bent laterallyv rearwardly; to :Bor-m board edges of substantial thickness. The

bottom edges Blof-.fthe boards are bent ,LJ-shaped' l to-l provide each board with a rounded edge for resting. on th'eground` and, the irontends 361' of the bottomedgesfare bent. upwardly and shaped touprov-ide: a: single upwardly forwardly-v extending nose-for the plow: when. the boards are-in the diverging. and .plowingrelation shown in 1'. 1 f

Tl1`e-construction and operation of the plow are now-"believed to be obvious; When not'inuse, thel plowma-y` be foldedtoz-the. collapsed condition shown -in Fig. 3 in whichthe` braces `I81are -folded' together rearwardly-land.ethe;V mold boards I 0- are brought to .au near: parallel relation. The varms 26-28 are also folded inwardly-over: the. boards and braces-whereby. placing the entire plow vin a *compact condition in which itecan-be conveniently.

handled and -fstoreds When vthe plow-'iste be =used the imold'boards; and braces are spread-to the position of Fig..1 1. andfthejaws-'ZB are-attached-to the bumpen. 'oat-fanautomobile. In such -position the plow rests:

freely on' the ground' and can be pushed along ahead of 1" thefvehicle. and- 21ffpermiti-theplow$ toremain flatly onfthe ground lindependntly'of the vehicle and, as itl is f-'puSIieCl4 along, the upwardly extending nose 36' andlthe rounded bottom edges-34 ride over the f ground' withoutdigging up.v or disturbing the grass,` gravel, or'otherl-material on thel ground surf ace: Itmay benoted thatI the plow'` can ubc fattached'tothef rear. bumper of the vehicle to plowdoutthe driveway-as the vehicle is backed iromthegarage. It willinowb'e apparent that I5 have produced-a light-weight and very Substantial 'sno'wplow. -or v private. luse which can not only bevconveniently: attachedtoand used in conneotion with i any automobile but' which-can also be readily-'collapsed 'into such lsmall capacitythat? it rmay be conveniently-:stored when not inuse.

Having thus described my invention what' I claim as new and desire/to secure lay-Letters Patent Iofrthe United States is:

l. Afoldingsnow plow comprisinga pair of resilient sheet metal mold boards pivoted together' at their :forwardends yonv a-nA axis slanting upwardly uit rearwardly. from: the vertical, braces between-and.;v

Each of two such arms illuse.

The horizontal pivots-2.5'

attached to the boards adjacent to their rear ends and including substantially vertical hinge joints connecting the braces to the boards and to each other, said hinge joints permitting the boards to be moved about the pivot axis to open and closed positions wherein the boards are in substantial diverging relation and near parallel relation respectively and the non-parallel axes of the pivot f and hinge connections. being adapted to cause such.conn ections to bind into atightening relation when the mold boards vare. brouglfitto open position, and means for attaching the plow to a' vehicle rearwardly thereof.

2. A ioldingsnow plow comprising a pair mold' boards pivoted together at their forward of. lllik v ends,.a pairof braces between the boards',l theI inner ends of the braces being pivoted together; l' Y andtheinouterzends .being pivotedto the boards adjacent to their rear ends, the pivotal connections permitting the braces to fold rearwardly and: theboards tocollapse .towardeachother .y frionrtheir open and operative position and in-' f cluding shoulders preventing folding vof 'the-braces. forwardly from a relationjholding the boards ,in

said open position, and arms carried by the braces. andradaptedto be connected to ay vehicle vrearward'ly thereof.

3.1The snow plow. dened in claim 2, whereinsaidarrns-include pivot joints having horizontalE axes andvjawsfat the freeends offthe arms for, attachment to thebumper of lan automobile.

Lf-,A foldingfsncw ploy/ comprising apair of"` moldii boards pivoted together-at their forward, ends, braces-.between andattached toy .the boardsI adjacentfto their` rear-ends and including hinge joints COnneCtingJthe-bras to the boards-and'` to` eachother whereby permittingqtheboards to beopenedabout the pivot axis to diverging rel-atiorrand toV be yclosed, about ksaid ,axisfto anear, parallel relation, the bottom edges of the boards beingrof sheet metalv bent vU-shapedgto provide;

eachiboardtwithxa rounded edge-Tor restingon j a-- single upwardly-forwardly extending nose for thefplowv when thev boards are in saiddiverging relation,- and means jointed on horizontal axes a-ndcarriedwbythe plowv .for attachmentto the, bumperfof. an automobile whereby to pushthe plow.; forwardly while; permitting@ it to restof l its:

owrrpweightA on@ the ground.

5:1 foldingv snow# plow f comprising" a; pair of i mold boards, each'v board comprising 1 a.; sheet of metal-having tlievedges thereof ben-t.laterally-` rearwardly to v form board edgesl oi substantialthickness; means. 'connecting .the boards; together;

at .their forwardends for relative pi/otal'rnove-V ment on' an* axis extending upwardiy; along and.

rea-rwardiyj4 of. but adjacent to the edges at, the;v forward ends of the boards,v braces. between .and .s attached :to `theboards adjacent to ytheir. rear-` ends the-1 groundfI andv the: irontl ends of thebottom-` edgesbei'ngbent upwardly and shaped to provide,

and including hinge joints connecting. the.;braces. to :.theboards and .to eachother wherebyv permitting. the boards ;to be openedabout'said axis to .f divergingrelation and to lbeclosed about said axis" to a` near parallelrelation, said-edges atftheforward ends of the boards being of such angular` relation as tocooperatetopro'vide a clo'sed point furthel plow 'whenthefboards' are 'in-"s d open' position, and-jointedmeans for attaching the plow to the bumper 'of an automobile 1 wl'fereby tol push the plow :forwardlywhilepermitting-itv to rest by gravity on the ground. i v f 5 A"'fOldIlgfsnowplow" comprising a pail-"0f mold boards connected together at 'theirf'forward f ends for relative pivotal movement on an axisv extending upwardly along and rearwardly of and adjacent to the edge surfaces at the forward ends of the boards, two braces hinged together at theiry inner ends and hinged at their outer ends to the mold boards adjacent to their` rear ends,'such hinge joints permitting the boards to be moved about the pivot axis to open andclosed positions wherein the boards are in substantial diverging relation and near parallel relation respectively,

`said edge surfaces at the forward ends of the boards being in such angular relation `as to come y into contact and provide a closed V-point for the plow when lthevboards are in said open position, and means for attaching the plow to a yvehicle rearwardly thereof.

vOLAF H. BoRGEsoNL 

